Self ticket check part of new Lottery computer system

The Iowa Lottery Board has approved a proposal from a Georgia company to supply new computer equipment to the Iowa Lottery at a projected cost of just over 50-million dollars over 10 years. Lottery C.E.O., Terry Rich, says the new system will be a big upgrade over the current system.

Rich says it will be a much faster computer than the decade old computers now in use, and he says the new computers will allow all vendors to sell all types of tickets, where in the past some outlets could only sell scratch tickets. Another new feature will allow you to check your ticket without waiting in line for a clerk. He says the self checker will be at a different station than where the tickets are sold and you can use it to scan your tickets and find out if you are a winner.

Rich says the updgrade in technology could open up more uses for the system. Rich says they believe the new computer system could allow them to help other agencies by taking payments, or possibly issuing hunting and fishing licenses or other things. He says the Iowa Lottery has 2,500 locations across the state and using its system could save the state some dollars on infrastructure. Rich says the new system will be in place by next summer.

Rich says the next step is to finalize the contract and they will then begin programming the new terminals and start sending them out in the spring. He says the new system would be up and fully operational by July 3rd of 2011. The Lottery Board approved the proposal to award the contract for the system to Scientific Games International. Rich says the new system is expected to save the lottery around one million dollars a year in reduced costs.